Filling feeler for looms



Oct. 1, 1957 A. w. RATKIEWICZ ETAL 2,808,077

FILLING FEELER FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 5; .1955

. INVENTOR. ALBERT W. RHTKIEWICZ By JOSEPH M. Bup'zYNn v ATTORi/EY2,808,67? Patented Get. 1, 1 957 FILLING FEELER FOR LQOMS Albert W.Ratkiewicz,

zyna, East Douglas,

Mass., assignors to Draper Corporation, Hopedale,

Mass., a corporation of Maine Application August 5, 1955, Serial No.526,668 3 Claims. '(Cl. 139=273) This invention pertains to improvementsin filling feelers for looms, and more particularly, to improvements ingfeeler which shall perform its intended function with Faruumsville, andJoseph M. Budcertainty, but which may not indicate falsely so. as 'tocause premature bobbin transfer in the loom.

A more specific object is that of devising a filling feeler of the sideslipping type and which functions in an electric circuit, which isprevented from side slipping to make a contact during the time thebobbin is being depleted of filling up to almost the point ofsubstantial exhaustion of filling,'and which, however, may at that timeslip sidewise in the usual way to make a contact and to initiate thereplenishing function.

In looms of the automatic type a filling feeler such as the well knownMidget feeler is positioned in the path of the lay as it beats forwardlyand a movable feeler member having a tip enters the shuttle to contactthe filling on a bobbin therein. If the bobbin still contains filling tocontinue weaving, the feeler stem or shank merely moves rectilinearlyforward a short distance and then recovers as the lay recedes. When thefilling has become depleted to the point where only two or three, forexample, picks may be left on the bobbin, the feeler tip engages thebobbin surface which offers less resistance to side slipping than thefilling itself. The side slipping part of the feeler, as is well knownto those skilled in this art sets in motion other devices which cause atransfer of a full bobbin to the shuttle and ejection of the empty one.

Some filling materials are of such nature that the methcient of friction(resistance to side slipping) offered by the filling is not fardifferent from that of the bobbin surface itself and thus with loomvibration and other influences encountered in practice, falseindications and premature transfers may become somewhat bothersome. If ashuttle rebounds or becomes displaced while the feeler is in engagementwith the filling, the transfer function is again likely to start itscycle. These and other causes, especially those encountered inmultishuttle or drop box looms, have made desirable a feeler which maytransfer only when the bobbin is virtually exhausted of filling.

According to the invention, a more or less conventional filling feeleris modified so that it may make contact to complete a circuit only at atime when the feeler tip is in contact with the bobbin surface or withthe filling thereon when the same has become nearly exhausted and thefeeler may side slip more or less instantaneously. At other times it isprevented from making contact since one or more pins or other stops heldin the casing limit movement in the direction of side slipping andprevent a laterally offset part of the feeler shank from engaging anelecagainst an adjustable ment of the invention as illustrated in theaccompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a filling feeler according to the inventionshown as applied to a full bobbin in'a typical loom.

. Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1, but showing the feeler V as appliedto a bobbin tiallyexhausted.

Fig. 3 is -a section taken at line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken at line 4-4, Fig. 3.-

-Now referring to Figs. 1 and '2, the feeler is shown as acting upon afilling package 10 "wound on a bobbin 11 carried in the usual way inshuttle 12. The feeler comprises a casing 13, cover 14 and a feelermemberwhich includes a shank 15 and tip 16. The shank is bent as at 17and end 18 to form a laterally directed portion notched for connectionof a spring 19,-the opposite end of which is hooked to .a pin 20. Theend 18'is adapted tostrike or other stop 21 attachedto the passingthrough a slot 23 in the stop,

from which the filling is substancasing by a screw 22 Figs. 3 and 4,also.

According to a preferred embodiment, current is connected to thefeelerand a circuit is completed to setin "motion a bobbin transfer'meanswhenever the circuit is 4 grounded through the feeler casing. I rentis'supplied'through wire'24 to bolt:25 insulated by :washers 26 and 27and having at its end .f an electrode orco'ntact member in theSpecifically, curwithin the casing form of a spring 28 fixed to an end29 of the insulated bolt.

The shank 15 is bent at a point intermediate its length as at 30,the-position of this projection being such that it contacts more or lesssquarely against electrode 28 when the feeler is to side slip when itsenses near exhaustion of filling, Fig. 2. Instead of bending the wireshank as shown, the same result may be obtained by brazing or otherwisefixing a similarly shaped piece to the side of the shank.

Pins 31 and 32 are set in the casing and are so positioned that one orthe other prevent movement of the feeler in a side slipping directionfar enough for the oifset 30-t=o engage the electrode, except at thetime when replenishment should occur.

As in Fig. 1, the dot-and-dash line showing, an unintended side slip dueto any cause when the bobbin still has a fair amount of filling left onit will result in the shank 15 engaging pin 31, the offset 30 havingpassed the electrode so it cannot make contact. Of course, the full lineposition of the parts in this figure corresponds to the regularrectilinear motion of the feeler.

In Fig. 2, the full line showing illustrates side slipping on a nearlyempty bobbin while the dot-and-dash line position shows what may happenif a premature indication does tend to occur. The feeler in such casesside slips too late or too far forward to complete a circuit, but if itwere to return in its side slipped attitude the laterally projectingpart of the shank would possibly contact the electrode and set off thetransfer cycle. Pin 32 prevents such action since in moving past thatpin, the feeler will be momentarily arrested and cammed back to itsin-line position, or at least near enough to that position so noengagement of the contacting .parts 30 and 2 8 may result.

Thus it may be seen that the modification of a filling feeler asdescribed permits it to function normally to indicate for a transferwhen filling is actually depleted to a point where the replenishingcycle should function. At all other times when the feeler side slips dueto any one of several causes, and which heretofore have resulted inpremature bobbin transfers, the mechanism is protected against suchundesired action by the combination of the offset contact part of thefeeler shank and the pins or other equivalent stopping means at the samerelative positions.

3 While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to beunderstood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number ofways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precisedetails described, but is intended to embrace all variations andmodifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the claims.

r We claim:

1. In a side slipping filling feeler for looms having in combination acasing, a feeler member having a shank and a tip, an opening in saidcasing through which said shank extends and within which it may sliderectilinearly or may slip sidewise to initiate filling replenishment,spring means urging the feeler member toward a filling engagingposition, a contact means for connection in a circuit and positionedadjacent the path of said feeler shank, a lateral projection 'on saidshank positioned to engage and complete a circuit through said contactmeans when said feeler slips sidewise, and means including at least onepin set in said casing and in the pathway of said shank and said lateralprojection as the shank slips sidewise, to prevent eengagement betweenany part of the shank and contact means except when the feeler isfunctioning upon a filling package which has become nearly exhausted.

2. In a side slipping filling feeler for looms having in combination acasing, a feeler member having a shank and a tip, an opening in saidcasing through which said shank extends and within which it may sliderectilinearly or may slip sidewise to initiate filling replenishment,spring means urging the feeler member toward a filling engagingposition, a contact means for connection in a circuit and positionedadjacent the path of said. feeler shank, a lateral projection on saidshank positioned to engage and complete a circuit through said contactmeans when said feeler slips sidewise, and pins, one at either side ofsaid contact means set in said casing and in the pathway of said shankand said lateral projection as the shank slips sidewise, positioned toprevent engagement between any part of the shank and contact meansexcept when the feeler is functioning upon a filling package which hasbecome nearly exhausted.

3. In a side slipping filling feeler for looms having in combination acasing, a feeler member having a shank and a tip, an opening in saidcasing through which said shank extends and within which it may sliderectilinearly or may slip sidewise to initiate filling replenishment,spring means urging the feeler member toward a filling engagingposition, a contact means for connection in a circuit and positionedadjacent the path of said feeler shank, a laterally bent portion of saidshank positioned to engage with and complete a circuit through saidcontact means when said feeler slips sidewise, and means to preventcontact to complete the circuit at such times as the feeler is notfunctioning upon a substantially exhausted filling package whichincludes two abutments, one forwardly of and the other rearwardly of thecontact means in said feeler casing, said abutments being in the pathwayof said shank and of said laterally bent portion of the shank as theshank sideslips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

